"Both Indonesia and Malaysia have ratified the convention againstslavery, and both have not acted, allowing children to be enslaved in asystematic manner," said Arist Merdeka Sirait, secretary general of theIndonesian National Commission on Child Protection (KNPA) in aninterview with Adnkronos International (AKI).

"We now demand that Jakarta use its diplomatic channels to put an end tothis scandal," said Sirait.

The Forum of Non-Permanent Teachers recently reported alleged childexploitation in the Malaysian plantation hub in Sabah to the NationalCommission on Child Protection.

Wahyu Susilo, representative of non-governmental organisation MigrantCare Indonesia said that the problem of child slavery is old and thatthe group had been trying for years to get the Indonesian government tointervene.

"We knew about the problem for many years, but putting pressure on theIndonesian government did not bring any results," said Susilo.

"Jakarta is guilty for not having done enough. But Malaysia is the mainresponsible partner because the abuses take place in their territory."

The KNPA also said that children are forced to work for long hours, inmany cases without pay. They are also forced to live in isolatedmakeshift shacks without running water or electricity.

Many of the children have never been to school and have been subjectedto violence and sexual abuse, said the KNPA.

Official data from the Indonesian consulate in Kota Kinabalu, thecapital of the Sabah state in Malaysia, says more than 330,000Indonesians work in at least 103 palm oil plantations in Malaysia.Almost half of them are illegal workers but it's not clear how many ofthem are children.